The Gift of Light

The gift of light I thankfully hold

And pass to my neighbor its shining gold

That everyone may feel its glow,

Receiving and giving may love and grow.

I received this gift of light from Lisa at Celebrating the Rhythm of Life with Children. What a beautiful idea and way to nurture our own spirits this busy holiday season! Thank you so much, Lisa - I was greatly touched...

I pass this gift of light to you Dear Lynn at Raising Little Shoots. Thank you for the light and warmth you bring to the world. I am grateful for your presence in my life.

Pass the gift of light to a cyber neighbor who lights your world until the world is aglow with a circle of light.

This verse can be used with children passing the light around a circle.

Pass the light on and let's see how broad a circle it can make.

GIVEAWAY: Gorgeous Syrendell Postcards!

Fairytale Scene

Well today is a very exciting day! One of my very favorite artisans is offering a gorgeous giveaway of two of Rick Tan's original wet on wet watercolor postcards - perfect for display on your nature or seasonal table! There will be two winners - one for the Fairytale Scene postcard shown above, and the other will win the Creation Scene postcard shown below! What a great way to kick off the weekend!

I was fortunate enough to attend two of Syrendell Academy's amazing classes this past spring and got to watch Rick paint a gorgeous scene right before my very eyes. It was as if the normally difficult to control watercolor paints just followed him blindly, emerging into a stunning piece of artwork! I was absolutlely amazed how easy he manipulated the colors and *tamed the beast*, so to speak! Rick has a mini tutorial on how to paint using wet on wet watercoloring that can be found through his inspirational blog here.

This gorgeous creation scene in large format will be the second print given away to a second lucky winner! Speaking of creation, I thought it would be fun to learn how Syrendell got started!

Creation Scene

How did Syrendell get started?

Syrendell started when we created our own homeschooling environment. We decided to call our homeschool space Syrendell, and also our business. We started an Etsy shop and a blog that featured handwork supplies and items that we used for Waldorf-inspired homeschooling. Workshops and consulting were added based on requests.

Where did you and Rick come up with the name? We love it!

As a family, we made a list of words that we love, like "symphony", "dell", "synchronicity", and many more. We played around with letters and sounds until it sounded just right! We always felt like our home and homeschooling spaces were truly a "dell".

What is the inspiration for these gorgeous prints?

The original wet-on-wet watercolors were made by Rick to show a fairy tale scene, and a creation scene. Both pieces of artwork relate to Waldorf curriculum, as well as the wet-on-wet technique. We love featuring postcards on nature tables and homeschooling nooks or themed areas of the house. Twelve of Rick's paintings are also featured in a calendar. More prints coming!

What is Rick's background in art and waldorf?

Rick has been an artist all of his life. He has sold his artwork, done graphic design and custom artwork for businesses and families, and was an artist in residence for a school years ago. Rick is a trained Waldorf teacher and currently teaches Grade 6 at Davis Waldorf School in Davis, California. He enjoys sharing his artwork with the children in his class, as well as our own children at home. His DVD and downloadable video on how to do the wet-on-wet watercoloring technique is available through the Bearth Institute. www.bearthinstitute.com.

Do you have any suggestions on how to encourage artistic expression in our children?

Be an excellent role model! If we say, "I can't paint well", then our children pick up on this. Paint, draw, sculpt, carve wood, sew, knit...the more you do around your children, the more they will be inspired and will want to do it along with you! Art should be a part of our everyday lives and not just something "extra". Take children to art exhibits. When they are old enough, support with ceramics, knitting lessons and workshops. Learn along with them! As they get older, discuss how music, art, architecture, math and science interrelate. Find beauty and artistry in everything around you.


I know several families (including mine) that would love the opportunity to enhance our home and nature tables with seasonal postcards from Rick. Any plans for those in the future?

Yes! The Four Seasons are coming out in 2011. Requests for other postcard themes are welcome!

Please see these additional links to the Syrendell endeavors:

www.syrendellacademy.com Workshops & Consulting
www.syrendell.etsy.com Postcards, Calendars, Yarns, and more!
www.syrendell.blogspot.com www.thewaldorfway.blogspot.com Our blogs
www.facebook.com/syrendell "Like" our Facebook page to see upcoming events, products and sales

For those who have been with my blog for a while now, you will already know how much I adore this creative family. They have beautiful hearts and spirits - always kind and trying to help others. I have come to both of them on several occassions and have received wonderful advice. Both have been featured in The Waldorf Connection, as well as Kristie Burns' BEarth Institute site. My home is filled with syrendell treasures - from their gorgeous hand dyed silks to their beautiful wooden creations. And I am now so excited to include Rick's stunning artwork in my home, gracing my nature table! I am thrilled that two lucky winners will have an opportunity to enhance their homes with one of Rick's stunning prints! They are also available through their Syrendell Etsy site, along with a lovely calendar for 2011 which comes in both desk size or full size!

To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment below. To be entered a second time, please join their blogs (if you are already a member, let me know, and I will enter you a second time), and if you'd like to be entered a third time, join them on facebook by liking their site! The links can be found above. The winners will be announced in one week - on Friday, December 24th - just in time for Christmas! One winner will win the Fairy Tale postcard and the other winner will win the Creation postcard.

Best of luck and THANK YOU, Syrendell!

Santa Barbara Mission Field Trip

As a tie into both our Chumash studies, as well as the studies of the saints, we went on a field trip to the Santa Barbara Mission when Gramy was in town. This gorgeous mission was the 10th of 21 missions founded along the coastline of California, extending as far down as San Diego and as far north as San Francisco. Five of these 21 missions were established by the Franciscans among the Chumash peoples, including Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara Mission was established on the Feast of St. Barbara on December 4th, 1786 so we learned about St. Barbara (another post on that).

You can read details about the founding of the mission here. It is incredibly gorgeous and hence I am just going to comment very little and allow the photographs to inspire :)

Here we are with Gramy (in black), who met her very best friend of 60 years at the mission for a reunion! We brought our lunch and enjoyed the singing of the birds and ringing of mission bells.

This is a wash basin that the Chumash used to scrub linens. The ocean is straight ahead.

The girls posing in front of Father Junipero Serra's statue. He is the founder of the first 9 missions and passed away two years before Santa Barbara Mission was completed.

Upon entering the museum, you are greeted with vigil candles. We lit two in honor of our recently deceased loved ones.

Waiting for Gramy and MaryAnn, we had fun taking pictures in the cut-outs ;)

We paid our nominal fee and headed into the mission for the self guided tour.

The girls recognized a familiar face! Babci bought them the Little Saint Francis books and puzzles years ago. They were tickled to see his image with the bee on the mission grounds!

The Santa Barbara Mission holds a very special place in my heart. Years ago, before the girls were born, my mom's friend (MaryAnn) helped organize several spiritual retreats for women here. I attended two of them and was blown away by the love, the prayer, and the bonding support of the women. The second year I attended, I was pregnant with the twins and after the opening saging ceremony, the women laid hands on my round belly, and blessed my babies. We read the amazing book "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant and it remains one of my favorite books ever.

Returning to these gardens, where we women stayed (in the attached dormitory), among the friars and spirit, just filled me with such light and love.

This beautiful old tree sits in the center of the large cemetery grounds. Hundreds are buried here, though there only a select number of grave markers and crypts.

St. Francis is seen everywhere...

I love this picture of Elena admiring the crucifixion...

Inside the beautiful church...

You can see the ocean from the open doors at the entrance to the church, though the picture whited it out. It's incredibly serene and breathtaking...

To the left (below) is Mary Magdalen weeping outside of the tomb of Christ as he appears to her with wounded hands and feet. To the right (below) is St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi.

Some building materials used in the mission construction.

Day of the Dead...

Recreation of the mission kitchen from the 1700's...

Chumash basketry and tools...

Original sculptures (read below)

Relief rubbings...

Signs of Chumash everywhere...

The Chumash name comes from one of their master traits - that of making shell money, seen here. It was then strung on a necklace and used to purchase necessities. Right behind the Santa Barbara Mission is the Natural History Museum, which houses more Chumash treasures and history. Highly recommended for those studying these beautiful peoples.

In California history for Grade 4, the children learn about the missions. I am hoping to visit all 21 with the girls during our homeschooling and would love to build a model of a mission, as well. Lots of fun to look forward to!

Speaking of looking forward - tomorrow, I will be hosting a wonderful giveaway, so be sure to check in! Can't wait!